As we drove to Tambopaxi, the clouds slowly lifted and Cotopaxi revealed itself just before sunset. Located about 75km south of Quito, Cotopaxi (5897m) is the second highest mountain in Ecuador, after Chimborazo. Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3800m, with a width at its base of about 23km. It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, starting at 5000m.